Chain link bar



J. LEVAl CHAIN LINK BAR May 7, 1940.

Original Filed Nov. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR.

WWW

ATTORNEY.

May 7,1940. J. LEVAI [2,199,500

CHAIN LINK BAR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 91 m 0 m,

0 1 m l ll! 1 H m 7 l@ [7 Fig.9

INVENTOR. JUL/(l5 Lil/A1 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Divided and thisapplication May 6,

1939, Serial No. 272,075. In Hungary Septemher 3, 1937 6 Claims.

The object of the invention is a chain link bar comprising at leastthree links in series arrangement and adjustable into various curvedshapes.

An important feature of the invention consists in the provision ofcontrol means adapted upon any change of the relative angular adjustmentof any one of said links to cause simultaneously and positively acorresponding change of the angular adjustment of the other links,

10 whereby to any adjustment of any link a certain definite curvature ofthe bar is coordinated positively.

Further features and advantages of the object of the invention willbecome apparent from the in following description in connection with thedrawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a link for one form ofthe object of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a chain formed of 20 links in accordancewith Fig. 1 by means of connecting pitman rods;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a second such chain ofiset relative to thechain shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a link bar composed 5 of the chains ofFigs. 2 and 3 pivoted together;

Fig. 5 is a diagram, in two difierent positions, of the link bar of Fig.4, bent towards the right hand side;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for forming a 30 link for amodification of the object of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 11 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows the links bent from blanks according to Figs. 6 and '7, inaxonometric represen- 5 tation. in the positions occupied by them beforebeing nested;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a pitman rod or coupier;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of two adjacent links in accordance with Fig. 8before assembling;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the links of Fig. 11 during assembling;

Fig. 13 is a side view of a link bar composed of 5 the links and pitmanrods of Figs. 6 to 12;

Fig. 14 is an axonometric representation of the link bar of Fig. 13;

Fig. 14a is a diagrammatic longitudinal section on the line A-B of Fig.13.

The link bar according to Figs. 4 and 5 is composed of the two chains orseries of links a1, a2, a3 and b1, b2, 173 respectively (Figs. 2 and 3).Each of these series is composed of equal links according to Fig. 1,each of which has radial lever 55 arms or crank arms I and a, forming anangle, as

required by the design, with the center line of the link. The links :11,a2, as are hingedly connected by means of couplers or pitman rods 1:,whilst the links b1, b2, b: are similarly connected by means of similarmembers 11.

Accordingly, the set of links (11, (12, as on the one hand, and the setof links b1, b2, be on the other hand, each form a separate chainsystem.

Both systems are superposed in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and areconnected by pivots inserted in the holes 21 and 22 of the links.

By means of these pivots, the links of the two systems a and b areconnected in such manner, that the lever arms of the connected pairs oflinks are situated on opposite sides of the center line of the bar. Thusthe completed bar will, eventually, consist, on the one hand, of thechain a1b1, (12-472, a3b3 and, on the other hand, of the control means,consisting of lever or crank arms f, g of the said links, and of thepitman rods or couplers w, y. On changing the relative angular positionsof any two links all other links will be moved through a correspondingangle by the control gear simultaneously and positively. If the relativeposition of said two links is locked at any moment, the whole bar islocked thereby rigidly in the shape assumed at that moment.

Fig. 5 shows in a diagrammatic manner the position of the links in thebar bent towards the right hand side. One curved position of the bar isshown in full lines, and a more curved position in dotted lines. For thesake of clearness the links of the one group are shown in wider lines.

The system shown in Figs. 6 to 14, inclusive, is kinematicallysubstantially identical with that of Figs. 1 to 5. However, the linksare of U-shaped cross-section and have substantially semicircularcontinuations taking the functions of the crank arms.

The links according to Figs. 13 and 14 are formed from blanks shown inFigs. 6 and 7, and stamped from sheet iron or the like. They consist ofthe web n and the wings m, which latter have semicircular continuations112'. Short bosses 0, 01 and e1, e2, respectively are stamped from thematerial in each wing m. Following this the blanks are, in accordancewith Fig. 11 bent into U shapes. Pitman rods or couplers 1:, as shown inFigs. 9 and 10 are stamped from sheet iron and provided with holes $1.These rods .2: are fitted between the continuations m of the wings m ofthe links a and b, respectively, by inserting the bosses e1, (22 intothe holes :m as shown in Fig. 14.

In Fig. 8 the two rows of links, arranged in a staggered manner relativeto each other, are shown .before the rows of links are nested and beforethe insertion of the pitman rods :2. Following this, the rows of linksa1, a2, as and b1, b2, b3, respectively, in which the webs are directedoutwards, facing alternately to opposite sides, are nested, whereby thelink bar accordin to Figs. 13 and 14 is formed.

The resiliency oi the links enablesone system to be inserted into theother one, for which purpose the wings of the links are bent resilientlyin the necessary extent (Fig. 12). If the links are then released thebosses 0, 01 and e1, e2 overlap each other, respectively, forming pivotsfor the links and the pitman rods.

All links of both rows, 1. e. those of even and those of odd serialnumber are perfectly similar, all the difference being that the links ofone row are narrower so as to be adapted to be nested into the other rowof links.

The links may be of equal or of unequal length, and the lengths of thelever arms and the angles formed by them with the center line of the barmay vary.

The angle of deflection is practically the same for all pairs of linksin the modifications shown as comprising lever arms and pitman rodsbars.

This application is a division of Serial No. 239,190, filed November 5,1938.

What I claim is:

1. A chain link bar adjustable into various curved shapes, comprising anuninterrupted chain of links and control means adapted upon any changeof the relative angular adjustment of anyone of said links to causesimultaneously and areasoc positively a corresponding change of theangular adjustment of the other links, in which bar the links arearranged in two groups, and links or each group are connected by pivotswith two links of the other group and, in addition, the links of eachgroup are connected with each other by pitman rods to form a continuousindividual chain, said links having extensions beyond said pivots andsaid pitman rods connecting said extensions at points outside thecentral line of the bar passing through the centers of said pivots.

2. A bar as in claim 1, in which said extensions are provided at bothends of said links.

3. A bar as in claim 1, in which said pitman rods cross the central line01 the bar.

4. A bar as claimed in claim 1, in which said links have U-shapedcross-section, facing alternately to opposite sides, and said extensionsform substantially semicircular continuations of the wings of saidlinks.

5. A bar as claimed in claim 1, in which said links have U-shapedcross-section, racing alternately to opposite sides, and said extensionsform substantially semicircular continuations of the wings of saidlinks, said pitman rods being overlapped and substantially concealed bysaid continuations.

6. A bar as claimed in claim 1, in which the links of both individualchains are provided in- JULIUS LEVAI.

